David Villa Celebrates for Barcelona - sourced from www4.pictures.zimbio.com

In a week that saw every premier league club score in one weekend for the first time, and also one of the greatest team performances of all time from Barcelona, which is the stronger and more exciting league?

With some of the world’s greatest players no longer opting for the premier league and looking for clubs in other countries, is the English top division losing its appeal? In the past the top flight in England has boasted some of the greatest players ever to grace the field of play, names such as Ronaldo, Bergkamp, Overmars, and Cantona are just a few. But now, even though money seems no option for most of the big clubs in the premier league, big stars seem to go elsewhere.

The warm shores and attractive football of the Spanish La Liga seems to be the preferred destination for many of the world’s stars. David Villa is the most notable name to shun the premier league, opting to stay in his native Spain with Barcelona and turning down lots of offers on the table from English clubs, and after Monday night’s performance in El clasico few could blame him.

The performance of Barcelona in that game was one of the greatest team performances La Liga and the world has ever seen. The intricate passing and fluent skill of the Barcelona players blew Real Madrid away, as it would have done all teams. The performance stemmed from some of the world’s greatest players, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Villa. However, all of the Barca players can play the game with ease and quality.

The Spanish game is based on skill, quick short passing and fluency and you will see that in all the teams in the Spanish top division. It may be slow at times and some might say boring, but for true lovers of the game the precision, pure talent and vision on show is a joy to watch. The passing at times is a thing of beauty, and not just from the top teams such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia, lower sides like Hercules, Sporting Gijon, and Levante play the game of football with the same ethos. You will never see a Spanish team play “ugly” football. But at times this want for perfection can become painfully slow and boring with neither side taking hold of a game. read on

It has been just over two years since Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City. Over 500million pounds and a ‘supposed’ World Class manager later, it comes as no surprise that last night’s Manchester derby was billed by Alex Ferguson as the most anticipated Manchester derby in recent times. It was supposed to be the chance for City to show the world that they were no longer the pretenders living in United’s shadow, that the power had shifted and that they were now ready to make a stance and go on and win the Premier League. Well that was yesterday and after a bore draw at Eastlands I was left thinking are City actually good enough to win the league? -take a peak>

Just over a month ago Wayne Rooney the golden boy of Manchester United was stretchered off during a two-all draw at the Reebok stadium. And what a difference one month makes! At first we had the ‘is he/ isn’t he injured’ debacle, followed by where will Rooney be playing his football in January. Wayne Rooney now sits in Dubai perceived by his team and fans very differently to the demi-god, he was just one month ago. The irony of the whole situation is that Rooney who claimed he wasn’t injured, hasn’t started for United since that away draw at Bolton, and following Alex Fergusons comments today (see http://tiny.cc/niv0y) it looks like he will be out for another 5 weeks(I wonder whether Rooney dare contradict Ferguson this time)?

Now I know Rooney has been described as a liar, selfish, disloyal etc. but no one seems to have mentioned the term ‘burnt out’. And that is exactly what I intend to do. -take a peak>